Today was the endocrinologist’s appointment and a spot of not as bad news. My A1C is 5.6, we are not changing my meds, my left kidney seems to be functioning well.

A small spot of good is really nice amongst all the bad.

Tomorrow is my urologist appointment and Friday is back to primary care for a cellulitis check. My word I am exhausted, all this back and forth, driving an hour each way is just wearing on me. Plus, the whole insane cost of gas is just wrecking our bank account.

Ok, that’s about it for tonight. Thank you so much for all the emails and good thoughts.

Hello Kidney is my new mascot. If I have to deal with all of this, I will do it with humor, damnit. I have a bag packed, Tony has a bag packed, and they are in the car. I didn’t get the sewing done I wanted to but, I’m hoping they’ll let me come home prior to anything else.

Well see. I am having a lot of pain in my right kidney so I talked to it and told it to shut the hell up. It isn’t listening, yet.

Tony will have instructions on updating y’all just in case I am unable to. Thank you for all your support.

<3
Suzy Smith

It has been a rough week would be a huge understatement. From having to go to the ER in the first place, then being transferred to another hospital by ambulance (For locals from Mary Washington to MCV, yes, down 95, my back is still in shambles from the bumps.)

Then, get to the hospital find out you have to be on steroids and benadryl for 12 hours prior to the CT scan because you are allergic to the contrast they use. And, I was not allowed to eat or drink. Now, I had only had 2 chicken wings for dinner on Sunday, and that had been early, I wasn’t hungry. My the time I got to MCV I was starving and so thirsty I could have drank from the toilet.

Once they settled me in, they gave me the news that I was still allowed no food or water. I can’t lie, at this point, I was tired as hell, in pain, still bleeding from my belly button, the infection had continued to spread and now not even a cup of water?

I cried. It was a quick one, the kind where you release some of your frustration and fear out in a few tears, then squeeze it in and move on.

Back to the rest of the story….

I do have to say MCV started me on antibiotics where MW never did and I was there overnight, first. I was on some of the big guys in the hospital and more here at home. The cellulitis is getting much better, although it is not gone.

Now, being in this holding pattern until Tuesday I am going crazy. The fact that I know there is a 6x6x8 cm mass in my one kidney is hard to deal with. Especially as we do have a history of kidney issues in the family (Papa was on dialysis for several years prior to his death.)

Unfortunately, I have enough knowledge of medical terms to know enough to be scared but, not enough to understand all of the things in the CT report, or all the things that can be wrong with your kidneys.

I am about to give into the complete exhaustion and finish this drugged ramble (pain meds and elavil make me go zzzzzz.) I will be updating as much as possible.

thanks for reading…

Ok, we wait. I go to the nephrologist on the 16th, for now we wait and I take the massive antibiotics to clear the cellulitis so they can do the biopsy and probable surgery.

Yes, probable as the chance of keeping my right kidney is tiny. Hopefully it will be nothing major in there but, no way to know for now. Needless to say I am a wreck and not happy about the wait but, what can you do?

Thank you all for your support. <3

I’m posting this really quickly as I’ve typed it out a few times now but, this is the best way I know to get a hold of a lot of y’all.

I was in the hospital the past couple days with a cellulitis infection of the stomach, and bleeding from my belly button. The cellulitis is being treated, they never figured out why I was bleeding from my belly button.

They did a CT scan yesterday and found a large mass 6x6x8 CMs in my right kidney. According to the report and the doctors it does not look like infection but, does look like something solid. Which yeah, could be a very bad thing.

I go to my primary care doctor at 11AM and we’ll see where we go from there. Tony has my account information to keep y’all posted, in case I can’t.

Any good thoughts, prayers, etc that y’all have to spare would make me fairly grateful.

Thanks for reading.